Schroeder: Swaggerin’ D covers for staggerin’ passing game

You couldn’t blame them. Eddie Pleasant’s tackle had all but sealed victory, and on their way off the field, Oregon’s defenders paused to watch the big hit on the big screen.

And then they laughed. Because the replay showed the linebacker collapse on Oregon safety John Boyett and knock him to the ground.

Less than two minutes remained and, after an interception, Boyett just needed to cradle the football and take a knee. Instead, “you could look at the way he was running,” defensive tackle Brandon Bair said, “and tell he wanted to score.”

Yeah, Pleasant tackled his teammate — a fairly comic moment — and it was somehow exactly the right thing to do.

Oregon beat Utah 31-24 Saturday afternoon, snapping the nation’s longest winning streak. It should have been a blowout, and could have been a loss.

But if you can’t figure out these Ducks, that’s OK. Neither can they. And sometimes, the only thing to do is laugh.

They’ve been banged around in three games — some of it is their own doing — and yet here they are, 2-1, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they moved back into the rankings.

All of that is important, and a good indicator that Chip Kelly has things on track, that the Boise State debacle is behind them. “Battle-tested” is how Kelly described his team, and he’s exactly right.